1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical apparatuses, such as image-capturing apparatuses including camcorders and digital still cameras, and interchangeable lens systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image-capturing apparatuses and interchangeable lens systems often include a blur-compensating device for moving a lens in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis (hereinafter, referred to as “orthogonal-to-optical-axis direction”) to bend the optical axis of the image-capturing optical system, thereby compensating for image blur caused by hand movement or the like. Generally, in such a blur-compensating device, a lens unit closer to the image plane (hereinafter referred to as “compensating lens unit”) than a light-quantity-adjusting unit is driven in the orthogonal-to-optical-axis direction (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-36074, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,479). On the other hand, a lens unit closer to an object (hereinafter referred to as “variator”) than the light-quantity adjusting unit is immovable in the orthogonal-to-optical-axis direction, and the distance between the variator and the compensating lens unit, along the optical axis, is fixed.
However, when only the compensating lens unit is driven in the orthogonal-to-optical-axis direction, the freedom of optical design or the freedom of mechanical design, which involves the drive mechanisms of the light-quantity-adjusting unit and compensating lens unit, are limited. This may become an obstacle to the downsizing of optical apparatuses.
Moreover, for example, in a zoom-lens system in which the variator is moved along the optical axis for zooming in and out, when only the compensating lens unit is driven in the orthogonal-to-optical-axis direction, the variator cannot be brought close to the compensating lens unit because the light-quantity-adjusting unit is interposed therebetween. It is thus difficult to improve the zoom efficiency in the zoom-lens system.